The present invention relates to data processing involving pen-enabled computing systems and, more particularly, to a system, computer software program product, and method for producing a contextual electronic message from an input to a pen-enabled computing system.
Pen-enabled computing is a relatively recent development wherein a user interfaces with a computing system by way of a writing stylus instead of a mouse or a keyboard. In some instances, a pen-enabled computing system provides an electronic writing tablet having an overlaid writing surface. Such a writing surface may comprise, for example, a blank sheet of paper or a preprinted form. The writing stylus, in turn, may comprise a device capable of inputting data (a xe2x80x9chandwriting inputxe2x80x9d) into the pen-enabled computing system while providing both a visible, or xe2x80x9cwritten ink,xe2x80x9d copy of the data on the writing surface and an xe2x80x9celectronicxe2x80x9d copy of the data within the pen-enabled computing system. Such a writing stylus may comprise, for example, a conventional pen, a conventional pencil, a radio transmitter, a magnetic or electric field device, an ultrasound transceiver, or combinations thereof.
Once the electronic copy of the data is entered into the pen-enabled computing system, the data may be stored as an xe2x80x9celectronic inkxe2x80x9d copy, wherein the handwriting input is captured as written, or as a xe2x80x9ctextxe2x80x9d copy, wherein the handwriting input is captured, recognized, and translated into the corresponding text. In some instances, the pen-enabled computing system may be capable of producing both an electronic ink and a text copy of the handwriting input. Since the writing stylus is generally capable of providing a written ink copy of the handwriting input on the writing surface, the user is automatically provided with a hard copy, or visual feed back, of the entered data. It is understood, however, that a written ink copy of the handwriting input may not be provided in some instances, wherein the handwriting input is captured and stored in the pen-enabled computing system as an electronic copy.
Typically, the pen-enabled computing system senses the position and/or movement of the writing stylus with respect to the electronic writing tablet, which is stored in the pen-enabled computing system as the handwriting input. The handwriting input is often then desirably used for other purposes. In order to manipulate the handwriting input, the pen-enabled computing system may communicate with a separate computer or processor to exchange, view, or modify the data. However, for the handwriting input to be subsequently utilized, it must often be translated from the user""s handwriting to text form. While text translation schemes may facilitate practical uses for the handwritten data, they are often not able to accurately translate the user""s handwriting. In addition, translation routines may require additional processing and storage capacity which could be used for other purposes and may add size and cost to the pen-enabled computing system. Thus, there exists a need for a pen-enabled computing system being selectively capable of utilizing a handwriting input for subsequent purposes without necessarily requiring the handwriting input to first be translated into text form.
The utilization of handwriting input into a pen-enabled computing system for subsequent processing purposes was facilitated by the development of systems capable of determining the context of the handwritten data. However, prior art systems for determining handwriting input context often required the user to positively identify the context of the data that they were entering. An improvement to these context identification systems provided a pen-enabled computing system integrating a preprinted form, wherein the improved system provided the capability of identifying the form and the context of the handwriting input from data input into a plurality of fields associated with the form. In some instances, the system had the capability of identifying the form and the handwriting input context from the user using the form for the form""s intended purpose. For example, the improved system was capable of identifying that the form comprised a daily planner from an entry in a certain time period on the form. Once the context of the input was known, associated data could be recalled and displayed for the user or the input could be used for other purposes. The details of such an improved system are found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/127,196 to Clary, entitled xe2x80x9cSystem, Computer Program Product, Computing Device, and Associated Methods for Form Identification and Information Manipulation,xe2x80x9d filed Mar. 31, 2000, assigned to Advanced Digital Systems, Inc., also the assignee of the present invention, and hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. While the Clary system provided an improvement in the seamless and automated operation of a pen-enabled computing system utilizing a preprinted form, it envisioned the need for new applications which would further expand the capabilities of a pen-enabled computing systems in a continued seamless and automated operation.
The above and other needs are met by the present invention which, in one embodiment, provides a system for producing a contextual electronic message from an input received by a handwriting capture device. Generally, the system comprises a handwriting capture device, a user interface, a central processing unit, and a communications interface. The handwriting capture device is capable of receiving and capturing an electronic handwriting input. The user interface is adapted to interact with a user and is further capable of receiving a user input to initiate a processing function. The central processing unit is capable of determining the context of the handwriting input and application-specific information associated with the handwriting input context. The central processing unit is also capable of processing the handwriting input in accordance with the context and/or the initiated processing function. A contextual electronic message is thereby produced which may comprise a portion of the application-specific information and/or a portion of the handwriting input. The communications interface is adapted to interact with a message recipient through a communications link and is further capable of transmitting the electronic message thereto.
The system may further comprise a computer software program product executing in at least one of the handwriting capture device and the central processing unit. The computer program product is capable of, for example, capturing the handwriting input, determining the context thereof, determining the application-specific information associated with the handwriting input context, processing the handwriting input according to the context and/or the initiated processing function to produce the corresponding contextual electronic message, and transmitting the message via the communications interface. In some instances, the computer program product is capable of using the application-specific information to determine a status of the message recipient prior to transmitting the electronic message.
According to further embodiments, the handwriting capture device may comprise a writing stylus having an associated sensing device for selectively sensing stylus movements. For example, the sensing device may comprise a pen-enabled computer, an electronic handwriting tablet, or a device that cooperates with the writing stylus to generate data from which the position and movement of the writing stylus can be determined. In addition, the user interface may comprise at least one actuator capable of receiving the user input and initiating the corresponding processing function. The user interface may also comprise at least one indicator adapted to provide data to the user. Further, the central processing unit may comprise, for example, a pen-enabled computer, a personal digital assistant, a smart phone, a desktop personal computer, a laptop personal computer, a central server, or combinations thereof. The communications interface may comprise, for example, a wireless communications device or a wire line communications device, each adapted to provide a communications link between the system and an external computing device. Still further, the electronic message produced by the system may comprise a source address, a destination address, a subject, a time stamp, and/or a payload, wherein at least a portion of the payload may comprise the application-specific information and/or at least a portion of the handwriting input.
A further advantageous aspect of the present invention comprises a computer software program product executing within a messaging system, wherein the computer program product is capable of producing a contextual electronic message from an input received by a handwriting capture device. The computer program product may comprise several executable portions that cooperate to capture a handwriting input and process the handwriting input to form a contextual electronic message that may then be transmitted to a message recipient. Accordingly, a first executable portion is provided that is capable of receiving and capturing a handwriting input entered into a handwriting capture device, wherein the handwriting input has a predetermined input parameter. A second executable portion is then capable of determining the context of the handwriting input based at least partially upon the input parameter. The second executable portion is further capable of determining application-specific information associated with the handwriting input context. A third executable portion processes the handwriting input based on a user input to a user interface and/or the handwriting input context to thereby form a contextual electronic message. The contextual electronic message may comprise, for example, a portion of the application-specific information and/or a portion of the handwriting input. A fourth executable portion then transmits the message via a communications interface, wherein the communications interface is adapted to interact with a message recipient through a communications link.
In one embodiment, the messaging system comprises a central processing unit in communication with the handwriting capture device, the user interface, and the communications interface. At least one of the executable portions is executed within the central processing unit, wherein the central processing unit may comprise, for example, a pen-enabled computer, a personal digital assistant, a smart phone, a desktop personal computer, a laptop personal computer, a central server, or combinations thereof. In some instances, at least one executable portion is executed within the handwriting capture device, wherein the handwriting capture device may comprise, for example, a pen-enabled computer, an electronic handwriting tablet, a writing stylus having an associated sensing device for selectively sensing stylus movements, or a device that cooperates with the writing stylus to generate data from which the position and movement of the writing stylus can be determined.
In some instances, the input parameter comprises a form identifier, wherein the second executable portion of the software program product is capable of determining the handwriting input context at least partially from the form identifier. In addition, at least one executable portion of the computer program product is capable of associating the application-specific information with an executable function. Also, at least one executable portion is capable of controlling the user interface such that the user interface may be directed to display data associated with the handwriting input context, wherein the user interface has at least one indicator adapted to provide the data to the user. At least one executable portion may also assign, for example, a time or date stamp to the handwriting input. The computer program product may further comprise a fifth executable portion capable of controlling the communications interface and directing the communications interface to interact with the message recipient, wherein the fifth executable portion is capable of polling a status of the message recipient with respect to the contextual electronic message prior to transmitting the message. Once the status of the message recipient is assessed, at least one of the executable portions may execute a predetermined function associated with the assessed status.
Still a further advantageous aspect of the present invention comprises a method for producing a contextual electronic message from a handwriting input to a handwriting capture device. A handwriting input having a predetermined input parameter is first entered into and captured by a handwriting capture device. The context of the handwriting input is then determined based at least partially upon the input parameter. Application-specific information associated with the handwriting input context may also be determined. A contextual electronic message is then formed based upon the handwriting input context and/or a user input received from a user interface, wherein the electronic message may comprise a portion of the application-specific information and/or a portion of the handwriting input. The message is then transmitted via a communications interface adapted to interact with a message recipient through a communications link.
In some instances, capturing a handwriting input further comprises selectively sensing movements of a writing stylus with a handwriting capture device, wherein the handwriting capture device may comprise, for example, a pen-enabled computer, an electronic handwriting tablet, a writing stylus having an associated sensing device, or a device that cooperates with the writing stylus to generate stylus movement data. Further, the input parameter may comprise a form identifier, at least partially from which the context of the handwriting input may be determined. In addition, the application-specific information may be associated with an executable function. Data associated with the handwriting input context may also be displayed via the user interface, wherein the user interface has at least one indicator adapted to provide data to the user.
When the handwriting input is captured, it may be assigned a time or date stamp, wherein a contextual electronic message may be formed such that the message is based upon or comprises the time or date stamp. In some instances, a status of a message recipient may be polled with respect to the contextual electronic message prior to transmitting the message to the message recipient. For example, the status of the message recipient may be assessed and a predetermined function then executed, wherein the predetermined function is associated with the assessed status. The contextual electronic message sent to the message recipient may comprise a source address, a destination address, a subject, a time stamp, or payload, wherein at least a portion of the payload comprises the application-specific information or at least a portion of the handwriting input.
Thus, a system, computer software program product, and method for producing a contextual electronic message from an input to a pen-enabled computing system according to embodiments of the present invention provides a system capable of utilizing a handwriting input for subsequent purposes and, in some instances, may do so without requiring the handwriting input to first be translated into text form. Further, embodiments of the present invention facilitate improvement in the seamless and automated operation of a pen-enabled computing system utilizing a preprinted form by providing useful applications which further expands the capabilities of pen-enabled computing systems.